FAAB Factor-AL: Moose Tacos

Starting Pitchers:

Chris Capuano, Yankees - Traded from the Rockies to the Yankees this week, Capuano made his AL debut pitching six innings against the Blue Jays with two earned runs allowed, four walks, and four strikeouts. On the season he has a 4.30 ERA (4.10 FIP) with 33 strikeouts and 19 walks over 37.2 IP. The start he made on Saturday was his first of the season and first since 2013, when he was a member of the Dodgers. A fly ball pitcher, it's nice for him to get out of Coors Field, but the AL East isn't likely to be much more accommodating. For now the Yankees will roll him out there because they really don't have many other options. If that's the case for your AL only fantasy team as well, then bid cautiously. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Derek Holland, Rangers - Holland will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco this Wednesday, as he starts to make his way back from a knee injury that required microfracture surgery. He's to be limited to just two innings of work, which makes little sense to me as he's been throwing much more in side sessions, but then again the Rangers have had so many injuries this season, it's hard to fault their overtly cautious approach with Holland. If he can get through this outing without incident, his next outing should have a higher pitch/innings limit. Last season he had a 3.42 ERA (3.44 FIP) with 189 strikeouts and 64 walks over 213 IP. Stash him for a late August/early September run. Mixed: $3; AL: $9.

Zach McAllister, Indians - McAllister was recalled from Triple-A Columbus this week to face the Royals on the road, where he performed poorly, giving up six runs (five earned) over four innings with two walks and three strikeouts. On the season he has an ugly 5.65 ERA (3.95 FIP) with 54 strikeouts and 26 walks over 63.2 IP. He should keep his spot in the rotation, as the team opted to bounce Josh Tomlin from the rotation, when making room for Justin Masterson later this week. McAllister should get Seattle at home this coming week, which makes him a possible streaming option for those in AL only and deep mixed formats. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Alex Meyer, Twins - I'm not sure what more Meyer can do at Triple-A Rochester to prove he deserves a call-up. On the season he has a 3.11 ERA (3.74 FIP) with 115 strikeouts and 47 walks over 101.1 IP. This month he has a 1.50 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 12 walks over 24 IP. The problem now is that he is likely to be capped at 150 innings, so even if he were to be promoted to the majors this week, he wouldn't be making many appearances down the stretch. Still, he's worth stashing if you have the room in AL only formats. If he's not up soon though, it might not be worth it to save a roster spot for him. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

James Paxton, Mariners - Paxton is expected to throw 75-80 pitches in a rehab start at Triple-A Tacoma this Sunday, before joining the Mariners on the road this coming week. If everything goes to plan, he'll be making his next start in Baltimore on Saturday. He's coming off a back injury that has affected him since early April, when we saw him last in the majors. In the two starts he did make, he pitched a total of 12 innings with 13 strikeouts, two walks, and three earned runs allowed, though one start was a gem with seven shutout innings and nine strikeouts. He needs to be owned in all AL only and deep mixed league formats. Last season in four starts he had a 1.50 ERA (3.26 FIP) with 21 strikeouts and seven walks over 24 IP. Mixed: $3; AL: $9.

Erasmo Ramirez & Taijuan Walker, Mariners - Both Ramirez and Walker were called up from Triple-A Tacoma this week to make starts for the Mariners and after their games were promptly sent back down to the minors. Ramirez pitched very well against the Mets, as he went seven innings with only two earned runs, two walks, and 10 strikeouts. He has a 4.35 ERA (5.33 FIP) with 52 strikeouts and 11 walks on the season. He should be back up later this season, if he can show some consistency at Tacoma. As for Walker, he was lucky to only give up only two earned runs over five innings to the Mets, considering he walked six batters. To his credit he did just give up only two hits and managed to strikeout five batters. Still, it was not what the Mariners were looking for and he's now back in Tacoma to work on his command. James Paxton is the next man up and if he falters, we may see Ramirez or Walker back up soon. Both Mixed: No; AL: $3.

Anthony Ranaudo, Red Sox - Though Allen Webster was the one chosen to replace Jake Peavy in the rotation on Sunday, Ranaudo could be the next man up, if Webster fails to impress. At Triple-A Pawtucket he has a 2.41 ERA (3.69 FIP) with 99 strikeouts and 49 walks over 119.1 IP. This month though, he has a 2.66 ERA with 18 strikeouts and seven walks over 23.2 IP. Keep an eye on how Webster does this Sunday against the Rays and potentially in his next outing against the Yankees, as Ranaudo threw six shutout innings in his last start and is waiting on deck for his shot. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Danny Salazar, Indians - Salazar returned to the majors this week, when he pitched five innings against the Twins on the road with one earned run allowed, six strikeouts, and three walks. Before he left, he had a 5.53 ERA (4.71 FIP) with 47 strikeouts and 17 walks over 40.2 IP. He should get the Rangers at home this coming week, which as things stand is not a difficult lineup to make look ordinary on any given night. The walks and home runs were a problem for him earlier this season. If he can continue to keep those issues at bay, he should be a nice option for owners in all formats in down the stretch. Mixed: $6; AL: $18.

Allen Webster, Red Sox - Webster is making his season debut this Sunday against the Rays, after being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket, where he had a 3.10 ERA (3.91 FIP) with 100 strikeouts and 44 walks over 122 IP. This last month at Pawtucket he's had a 3.86 ERA over four starts with 19 strikeouts and nine walks over 23.1 IP. He should keep his spot in the rotation, now that Jake Peavy is in San Francisco, but should he falter, there are other options available to the team, so he'll need to pitch well. His next start would be at home against the Yankees on Saturday. Keep an eye on how Webster does this Sunday, before making a blind bid on him. Last season in the majors he had a 8.59 ERA (6.53 FIP) with 23 strikeouts and 17 walks over 29.1 IP as a starter. Mixed: $1; AL: $5.

Relief Pitchers:

Neftali Feliz, Neal Cotts, & Shawn Tolleson, Rangers - With Joakim Soria now in Detroit, Feliz is the next man up to close out games for the Rangers. Back in 2011, Feliz was dominant, as the Rangers closer with 32 saves, a 2.74 ERA (3.57 FIP), 54 strikeouts and 30 walks over 62.1 IP. He also had a fastball that average 96.3 MPH on the radar gun, before he underwent Tommy John surgery. Since then he's battled his way back from the injury through rehab, though he only throws 92.3 MPH now. This drop in velocity is a red flag, as he used to overpower batters with his heater and now must rely on his command more to get outs. The numbers don't lie either, as he has struck out just four of the 42 batters he has faced this season. The Rangers don't have much to lose at this point by letting Feliz close out games, but if he falters, don't be surprised to see the team pull the plug on him and let him work in lower leverage situations. If you're speculating for saves, you should be thinking about Cotts and Tolleson. Cotts has a 3.27 ERA (2.76 FIP) with 50 strikeouts and 18 walks over 44 IP this season. He's a LHP, though RHB don't have much better numbers than LHB do against him. Still, because he's a LHP, Tolleson may be the guy to own. He has a 3.28 ERA (4.82 FIP) with 47 strikeouts and 19 walks over 49.1 IP. As bad as the Rangers are, this group might not get many save opportunities, so keep that in mind when bidding. Feliz Mixed: $4; AL: $12. Cotts Mixed: $1; AL: $4. Tolleson Mixed: $2; AL: $6.

Jacob Petricka, White Sox - Zach Putnam's shoulder injury has him on the DL and Petricka looks like the clear choice as closer for the White Sox right now. On Thursday he struck out two batters in a clean inning of work to pick up his fifth save of the season. He now has a 2.06 ERA (3.43 FIP) with 41 strikeouts and 26 walks over 52.1 IP. Over the last 30 days he has a 1.42 ERA over 12.2 IP, which is pretty tough to argue with. If he's still available in your league, find a place for him on your roster, as Putnam will likely bet setting Petricka up when he returns off the DL. Mixed: $6; AL: $18.

Catchers:

Robinson Chirinos, Rangers - With Geovany Soto back on the DL, this time with a groin strain, Chirinos is once again the starting catcher for the Rangers. On the season he's batting just .227/.261/.403 with nine home runs over 230 PA. As with J.P. Arencibia, if you can take the hit in the batting average department, the power numbers should be there. That said, he has been pretty cold lately with just two hits in his last 31 PA, so owners would be best served to see him start to string together a few hits, before getting him in their lineup. Mixed: $2; AL: $7.

Dioner Navarro, Blue Jays - In four of the last five games the Blue Jays have had Navarro hitting cleanup for them. This change in batting order should boost his counting stats, especially his potential for runs batted in. On the season he's hit .271/.312/.385 with seven home runs over 337 PA. If you're in a mixed league and looking for a second catcher, he's not a bad option, especially against RHP of whom he owns a .284/.322/.410 batting line against this season. Mixed: $5; AL: Owned.

Corner Infielders:

J.P. Arencibia, Rangers - Since being called up from Triple-A Round Rock, Arencibia has started six-of-nine games at first base for the Rangers. In between there and DH, he has flexed his power muscles, hitting three home runs. Unsurprisingly though, he has failed to hit for average, batting just .188 since his return with 11 strikeouts and one walk in 34 PA. If you can pay the batting average price, the reward of power is there. Mixed: $2; AL: $8.

C.J. Cron, Angels - Cron was brought back up from Triple-A Salt Lake this week to serve as the Angels DH once again. In his three games back, he's gone 3-for-11 with a double. On the season he's hit .269/.295/.473 with nine home runs over 183 PA. Josh Hamilton's ailing knee might relegate him to DH duty more often, which would cut into Cron's at-bats, so keep an eye on Hamilton's day-to-day status. Though if Hamilton were to go on the DL that would really help Cron's potential for steady playing time. For now, pick Cron back up in any AL only formats where he was dropped. Mixed: $3; AL: $12.

Chase Headley, Yankees - Traded from the Padres to the Yankees this week, Headley should be in line for a bump in his value, now that he's out of Petco Park and some of the other pitcher friendly parks of the NL West. As a member of the Padres he hit .229/.296/.355 with seven home runs and four stolen bases over 307 PA. These numbers are a far cry from his 2012 season, where he hit .286/.376/.498 with 31 home runs and 17 stolen bases over 699 PA. So far with the Yankees he's 7-for-19 with two doubles and two runs in five games. He needs to be owned in all AL only formats and perhaps given a second chance in mixed leagues, now that he's been given a change of scenery. Mixed: $4; AL: $16.

Dan Johnson, Blue Jays - Saturday Johnson went 2-for-5 with hit first home run of the season and four RBI against the Yankees. So far in his 10 games with the Blue Jays, he's gone 7-for-28 with two doubles, one home run, and seven runs scored. The runs scored are somewhat impressive, for someone who doesn't hit that high up in the lineup. Johnson is currently filling in for Edwin Encarnacion, while he deals with a quadriceps injury. Encarnacion suffered a small setback in his rehab on Saturday, so he might be out longer than anticipated, thus giving Johnson a few extra games to show what he can do. Before joining the team, Johnson hit .248/.402/.471 with 17 home runs at Triple-A Buffalo. Mixed: $2; AL: $7.

Marc Krauss, Astros - Krauss was recalled this week from Triple-A Oklahoma City to George Springer's roster spot, as he deals with a quad strain. So far he has started three of the last four games in left field with Enrigue Hernandez shifting from left field to center, as Dexter Fowler (intercostal strain) also remains out. At Oklahoma City, Krauss hit .278/.375/.459 with five home runs and one stolen base over 184 PA. In the majors this season he has disappointed with a .189/.277/.320 batting line and four home runs over 137 PA. Expect him to stay in the majors until either Fowler or Springer is back up. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Mike Moustakas, Royals - Moustakas hit three home runs this week, as he continues to put his horrid April and May start behind him. Since the start of June he has hit .238/.299/.462 with nine home runs over 158 PA. His batting average is still a real concern, but he has provided enough power to help owners overlook it. The runs have started to pile up too as of late, as he has six runs in his last six games. He needs to be owned in more mixed leagues right now, at least until he cools off. Mixed: $5; AL: Owned.

Middle Infielders:

Stephen Drew, Red Sox - Drew showed some power this week, hitting two home runs against the Blue Jays. Over the past two weeks, he's hit .281/.439/.563 with a double, triple, two home runs, and eight runs. Maybe most encouraging is that over that time he has nine walks to nearly match his 10 strikeouts. On the season his numbers are poor with a .172 batting average and four home runs over 129 PA. Still his progress over the last two weeks can't be overlooked in deep mixed leagues, where he's mot likely to be helpful to owners as a middle infielder. Mixed: $4; AL: Owned.

Micah Johnson, White Sox - Johnson continues to stay hot at Triple-A Charlotte, where he's hitting .364/.410/.494 with one home run and five stolen bases in just the month of July. Between there and Double-A Birmingham, he has hit .314/.373/.429 with five home runs and 20 stolen bases over 397 PA this season. At the MLB level, White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham has hit .115/.143/.179 this month and is giving the team no real reason right now to show confidence in him offensively. Keep an eye on Johnson in AL only formats, as he might be called up sooner rather than later if Beckham keeps this up. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Gregorio Petit, Astros - Petit was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City this week, while Marwin Gonzalez deals with a hamstring injury. So far he's only appeared in one game, where he went 1-for-2. At Oklahoma City he hit .297/.340/.457 with 10 home runs and one stolen base over 347 PA. Don't expect him to have much value moving forward. Mixed: No; AL: $2.

Jose Ramirez, Indians - Ramirez was recalled from Triple-A Columbus this week, while Asdrubal Cabrera deals with a back injury. So far in four games he has gone 5-for-14 with a double. At Columbus he hit .302/.360/.441 with 15 doubles, five home runs, and 19 stolen bases over 277 PA. He also got caught stealing 11 times, so it's clearly something he needs to continue to work on. There have been rumblings about Cabrera possibly getting moved prior to the trade deadline and if that were to happen, we'd likely see Francisco Lindor start everyday at shortstop over Ramirez, but we're not to that point yet. For now, Ramirez should offer some slight value to owners looking for middle infield help. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Chris Taylor, Mariners - Taylor was called up from Triple-A Tacoma this week, as the Mariners continue to play musical chairs with their major league roster. Brad Miller had been getting consistent playing time at shortstop, but he has hit just .203/.276/.323 with eight home runs and three stolen bases over 324 PA this season. Taylor hit .328/.397/.497 with five home runs and 14 stolen bases over 346 PA at Tacoma. He's only 23 years old, though is not thought of as an elite prospect, even within the Mariners organization. Still, he's worth giving a shot, as long as he continues to get playing time. Mixed: $3; AL: $10.

Outfielders:

Mookie Betts, Red Sox - Gone, but not forgotten, Betts has hit .317/.349/.517 with two home runs and one stolen base over 64 PA at Triple-A Pawtucket this month. On the season, he's hit .336/421/.484 with three home runs and seven stolen bases over 140 PA at Pawtucket. Right now the Red Sox seem content with Jackie Bradley in center field, despite his .233/.308/.320 batting line over 335 PA this season. The team has lost five games in a row and is closer to last place in the AL than they are to the second wild card spot. When they raise the white flag on their season, we should see Betts back up, despite his struggles in the majors in his first time around, which weren't all his fault, as he was never really given any consistent playing time. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Wil Myers, Rays - Myers has began hitting off a tee on Friday, as he continues to work his way back from a wrist injury. He has also started light throwing in his rehab that is likely to keep him out through the middle of next month. When he returns, he'll come back to an ugly .227/.313/.354 batting line, which is not close to the .293/.354/.478 hitter we saw debut last season on his way to winning AL Rookie of the Year. For now he needs to be stashed in deep mixed leagues, as he could have an impact down the stretch for a suddenly surging Rays team. Mixed: $2; AL: $8.

Efren Navarro, Angels - Navarro has seen playing time as of late between left field and first base, as the Angels look for ways to keep their veterans fresh with the occasional day off. Navarro hasn't seen that much playing overall, but he's done well with it against RHP, hitting .340/.421/.540 against them over 57 PA. Josh Hamilton has been dealing with a knee injury of late and the team called up J.B. Shuck, perhaps as a precautionary move, if Hamilton needs a stint on the DL. For now Navarro is a fill-in with sporadic playing time, especially after the team brought C.J. Cron back up from the minors to hit DH for them. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Nolan Reimold, Blue Jays - Reimold was activated from the 15-day DL on Sunday, after dealing with a calf injury. Overall this season he hasn't seen many at-bats, as he started the season out on the DL with a neck injury that lasted longer than expected. He played 17 games at Double-A Bowie with the Orioles organization earlier this season, when he was rehabbing, before being designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. A career .253 hitter, don't expect much from Reimold, though he does have a little bit of pop. Mixed: $1; AL: $4.

Josh Reddick, A's - Reddick came off the DL this week, after dealing with a knee injury, his second such injury to that same knee. Before he left he hit .229/.296/.358 with four home runs over 196 PA, which is pretty disappointing. So far in his return he's gone 5-for-16 with three doubles and a home run, which is encouraging. He's been back in right field defensively, which likely means we're going to see Brandon Moss and Stephen Vogt sharing more time at first base, as the team looks to keep both of their bats in the lineup. For now Reddick needs to be owned in all AL only and deep mixed league formats. He's a career .247/.308/.429 hitter against RHP, of whom he should see the majority of his playing time against. Mixed: $4; AL: $15.

J.B. Shuck, Angels - Shuck is back in the majors, after being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday. Josh Hamilton is dealing with some knee soreness as of late, so Shuck's promotion may just be a precautionary move on the part of the Angels. At Salt Lake, Shuck hit .318/.390/.443 with three home runs and eight stolen bases over 344 PA. He can hit for contact and play some decent defense, both of which he showed last season with the club, when he hit .293 over 478 PA. Keep an eye on Hamilton's knee and Efren Navarro, who will likely be challenging Shuck for playing time, should Hamilton need time on the DL. Mixed: $1; AL: $6.

Note: If you have anyone else you'd like me to discuss, just drop a line in the comments section.